Package wiring machine



Sept. 1, 1931. J. 5. M CHESNEY PACKAGE WIRING MACHINE Filed Sept. 6, 1923 4' Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 1, 1931. J. 5. Moc s l 1,821,389

PACKAGE WIRING MACHINE Filed Sept. 6, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 1, 1931. J. s. MCCHESNEY 1,821,389

PACKAGE WIRING MACHINE I Filed Sept. 6, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Sept. 1, 1931. J. s. MCCHESNEY PACKAGE WIRING MACHINE Filed Sept. 6, 1923 4 Sheets-Shet 4 I I .f 6 I Patented Sept. 1 1931 UNITED. STATES PATENT oFFic JOHN SHERMAN MdCHESNEY, OF CHICAGO, ILiLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY HESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO THE GERRARD COMPANY, INC., OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, A

CORPORATION OF DELAWARE f V PACKAGE WIRING mcnnm Application filed September 6, 1923. Serial No. 661,234.

This invention is a wiring machine,

wherein atieis applied under the-required tension to 'a package, such as a box or crate,

eral operations being semi-automatic and the machine being adapted for use by an unskilled operator in a manner to apply the tie quickly and in the required position around the package, the effect of which is that the tie performs the function of a binder for tightly binding the package and alsoserves as a seal for said package to preclude pilfering the contents thereof.

The invention may be embodied in a power operated machine, similar in some respects to inventions of patents heretofore granted upon prior applications filed by me, and it may be embodied also in a portable implement or machine adapted to be placed by hand against or upon the package 1 and to be opei ated quickly by manual ef' fort, the embodiment shown in the drawings being a portable implement adapted for manual operation.

One part of the invention is a holding means unitary with the machine for retaining one end portion of a tie "in. a fixed rela tion to said machine while the operator performs the manual operation of passing said tie around the package (box or case) and of positioning said tie in the desired relation to the certain operative parts of said machine prior to the tensioning operation,

Said holding means is positionedito facilis tate the" introduction of the tie, the latter being within the view of the operator, and said holding means being so related to other parts of the machine that access is obtainable easily thereto when inserting the tie. 5

Furthermore, the holding means is adapted for use in conjunction either with a deformed tie wire or with plain round tie wire; and, again, said holding means cooperates with the tie for gripping the sagne securely in a manner to preclu e slipping under the strain applied to the tie in the operation of tensioning the same.

Another feature of the invention is a tension device for straining the tie, said tentive head and the thereof are easily accessible and normally.

sion device including a pawl, a ratchet, and a head with an operating member for imparting a rotative intermittent or ste motion to theratchet and the head, an said ratchet operated head being provided with a plurality of peculiarly formed tie-engaging elements relatively spaced to each other on a face of the ratchet operated head and unitary therewith. The tie-engaging elements are of angular formation and are relatively positioned to bite or bind against the tie, said rotative head being mounted for rotation on an axle inclined to the horizontal plane of a twister pinion, whereby the rotatie-engaging elements within the view of the operator, to the end that the tie is easily inserted andsaid tie is grippcdby a partial rotative movement of said head.

A further feature of the invention is a device for ejecting or stripping the twisted portion of the tie from the twister pinion, thereby facilitating the dislodgment of the tie from the machine, or as it may be termed, shifting the machine bodily from engage ment with the tie after the latter shall have been tensioned and secured around the package, (box or case) Said stripper or e ector embodies, a plurality of tie-engaging members positioned adjacent the twister pinion, preferably. at opposite sides of said inion, a slidable part co-operable with sa1d tieengagin members for imparting movement conjoint y thereto, and an-actuator in the form of a cam contacting said slidable art and operated by the movement of one o the elements of the machine such. as the pawl carrying lever whereby the ejector or stripper is actuated automatically upon the completion of the twist in-the tie.

A'further feature of the invention is a latch device for retaining in parallel relation the end portions of a looped tie, said latch device being operated automaticallyv I by the. cam-actuatedslidable member of the stri per, whereby the latch device is retracted rom contact with the tie at or prior to the action'of the ejector or stripper,

A'further feature is a double cutter mech twist, a function of said double cutter being to sever the respective lengths adjacent said twist.

Other functions and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawin wherein+- igure 1 is a front elevation, artly in section, of the-invention as embo ied in a portable hand operated machine. a

Figure 2 is a horizontal section view in the plane of the dotted line 2-2 of Figure 1 lookin in the direction of the arrow, and illustrating certain operating parts in bottom or inverted plan.

' Figure 3 is a vertical cross section on the line 33 of Figure 1, showing the twister mechanism for uniting the parallel portions of the tie by intertwisting said parallel portions.

Figure 4 and Figure 5 are vertical cross sectional views on the planes indicated by the dotted lines 4-4 and 55, respectively, ofFigure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, and showing the two movable eutters for severing surplts wire from the tie, the lines of out being adjacent the twist of said tie. a

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional elevation on the line 6-45 of Figure 1, illustratin the holding means for one end portion 0 the tie.

Figures 7 and 8 are front views of a tieengagin holder including a gri er member, sai views illustrating sai gripper member in opened and closed positions respectively.

Figure 9 is a vertical cross section on the line 99 of Figure 1, illustrating the rotate ble head of the tension device.

- Figure 10 is a perspective view of a tie in the condition it assumes when looped around. a package, with the end portions of said tie in parallel relation, the particular tie illustrated being a deformed wire one end portion of which is preformed for insertion into the holder, whereas the other end portion is deflected for engagement with therOtatable head of the tension means. Figure 11 is a perspective view of the completed tie after it has been tensioned, twisted, and the surplus wire cut from the ends, said cuts being at points close to the twist. Figures 12 and 13 are views corresponding to Figures 4 and 5, respectively, illustrating the double cutter in the cutting'positions.

Ligure 14 is a perspective View of .the

parts composing the automatic stripper or ejector, said view illustrating also the automatic latch.

Figure 15 is a detail view partly in perspective, and partly broken away, of the twister pinion.

Figure 16 isa detail view of the tensioning means illustrating the action of the rotata 1e head in placing tension on the tie.

In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the machine is shown as a portable manually-operated device adapted to be moved with facility from one box and placed upon or against another box, and to be operated by hand, certain of the operating parts being semi-automatic. As shown, the frame A of the machine is constructed with a gear housing a and a base I), both unitary with the frame. A practical feature is that the base I) is composed of a thin plate, preferably of steel, in order that the twister mechanism and the tension mechanism of the machine may lie close down to the package, so as to minimize the distance that the tie must be raised away from said package for the purpose of having said tie engage with the oper ating parts of the machme, thus enabling the tie to be tensionedaround the package to the best advantage. The gear housing is composed of complemental parts adapted for assemblage to encase the gears associated with the twister said parts of the gear housing being held tirnily together by screws and said relatively thin base plate b being fastened fixedl to. the bottom part of the frame. As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the complemental parts of the gear housing are recessed at'a' for the accommodation of a gear pinion B and a gear B, said gear pinion B being made fast with an operating shaft B which is journaled in appropriate bearings of the frame A, and said shaft being shown as having a member, such as a hand crank 12' for imparting rotative movement to the gear pinion.v The gear B is fast with a shaft -B journaled in bearings of the gear housing a, the ends of said shaft protruding beyond the gear so as to receive cams, presently described, for actuating the members of the double cutter mechanism. Said gear B meshes with the teeth of a twister pinion C, Figures 3 and 15, provided with journals 0 by which said twister pinion is mounted for rotative movement in appropriate bearings ofthe gear housing a. Said twister pinion is provided with a slot 0 extending radially thereof, and the journals c of said twister pinion ,are provided with other slots 0 the latter being somewhat wider than the slot 0, all the slots c 0 being in register or alinement, see Figure 15, whereby the slotted body C of the twister pinion is adapted to grasp the parallel parts of the tie, whereas the wider slots 0 in the journals accommodate the twists given to the tie by the rotative movement of the twister pinion. The gear housing is formed-to provide bearings for the journals 0 of the 7 thin plate b, through which slot or throat d tie, andwith which slot or throat is adapted to register the slots 0'. e of the twister pinion C when the latter occupies a normal position, in which position said twister pinion C is retained by :1 Suitable locking device, to the end that the Wire tie may easily be placed in the machine during the manual operation of passing. said tie around the package.

The. gear housing carries orsupports two tie-retaining members herein shown as slotted plates D, E, Figures 1, 4, 5. 12 and, 13. These plates are made in separate pieces from the gear housing, although they may be made as integral parts thereof, and said plates are positioned against opposite sides of the gear housing, exteriorly thereof, and attached rigidly thereto.

The plates D, E, are provided with slots 6, 6, respectively, and said plates are positioned for saidslots a, e, to register or aline with the throat 01' slots (l of the gear housing. The slots aresufiiciently long to accommodate the parallel parts of the tie, and the width thereof slightly exceeds the diameter of the tie, whereby the slotted plates are adapted to serve as retainers for the parallel parts of the tie and to preclude said parallel parts from turning relatively to each other when the twister pinion is rotated to impart twists to said tie for joining the end portions.thereof. The slots in the retaining plates are open at one end for the ready insertion of the tie, it being preferredto enlarge or flare said open ends, as shown in Figures 4, 5, 12 and 13. The twister pinion C is between the two retaining plates D, E, and said twister is close'down to the bottom of the machine, it being preferred to form a curved recess 6 in the thin bottom plate 6 (see Figure 3) in order to position the twister pinion as close as possible to that under face of the machine which is adapted to rest upon the package,

One end portion of the tie is to be held in a fixed position on the machine, and in this invention provision. is made for holding said tie by a device adapted for engagement either with a plain round wire or with a deformed" wire, asmay be desired. For certain purposes, it may be found desirable to employ a deformed wire as'a means for tying or binding a package, and .the holder shown in Figures 1, 2, 6, 7 and 8, is especially useful for anchoring a tie of a particu- -'lar character, thesame being shown in Fig- .ures 6, 7 and 10, as a tie composed of a round wire Y with a flattened and shoul-- dere d portion 1 within one end portion thereof. The holder shown comprises a post F, a jaw F, and a gripper F said jaw being unitary with the post, whereas the gripper is movably mounted on the post to occupy a co-operative relation to the jaw. As shown, the jaw is integral with.

the post, and is positioned on the end face of said post, protruding for an appreciable distance from it so as to fully expose the jaw to easy access. For co-operation with a flattened and shouldered portion y of the tie wire Y, the jaw is formed'with a straight upper face f and with beveled or inclined end faces f, whereby a flat portion of the tie is adapted to rest on the flat face f of the jaw, whereas the shouldered portion of said tie is in contact with a beveled face or faces f of the jaw, see Figures 1 and 8. The gripper may be of various forms, but as shown, it is an eccentric pivoted atcf and provided with a short'arm f adapted 'to serve as an operating piece for turning the gripper relatively to the jaw F. The eccentric gripper has a smooth annular face and occupies a position relatively to the jaw so that in the free position (i. e. the non-gripping position of Figure 7) the space between the flat face f of the jaw. and the working face of the eccentric gripper exceeds the normal dimensions of the deformed wire tie, but after the flattened and shouldered tie is placed between the jaw and the gripper, as depicted in Figure 7, said eccentric gripper-is turned on rotated by. hand to the position ofFigure 8, whereupon the face of the gripper is in contact with the shouldered and flattened tie, the space being less than the width of the deformed tie. The gripper and the jaw thus co-operate to increase-or to decrease the space intermediate the jaw and the eccentrically. pivoted gripper, and by this arrangement the gripping'means is opened or closed according as it becomes necessary to introduce or remove the deformed tie or to firmly hold said tie in a fixed relation to the machine. The post F of the tie holder ,is' made fast with the machine frame A in any desired way, as by a binding screw f, and said post occupies such relation to the gear housing. as to fully expose it to free and unobstructed access. The post is at one side of the gear housing, being placed foran-appreciable distance'away from the retaining plate D, and it is preferred to incline said post to the horizontal and the vertical, in order that the wire tie may be introduced with ease and facility. As shown in Figures 1 and 6, the post F ofthe tie holder is inclined to the vertical, and 3 as shown in Figure 2, said post is inclined also to the horizontal, the efi'eet of which is lll) to position" the gripper and the jaw clear of; all the adjacent parts of the machine and thereby expose the same not only to the view of the operator, but so as to enable the workman to introduce the shouldered and flattened tie without hindrance and in a manner to observe at all times the relation of the flattened and shouldered tie to the holding means.

Although I have shown and described the tie holder-as especially adapted for cooperation with a shouldered wire preformed to reduce a flattened portion, it will be understood that the jaw and gripper of-v said holder may be used for anchoring a plain flat wire or a plain round wire in a fixed relation to the machine, it being obvious that the shape or form of the jaw and the gripper ma be changed accordin to the character 0 the wire used a tie For binding the package. g

Various forms of devices for placing tension on the tie may be employed in the machine, but in the drawings there is illustrated a preferred tension device which is efficient in holding the tie against slipping during the tensioning operation and is constructed and positioned with the special object of facilitating the connection or attachment of said t1e by having the parts -at all times under observation bykthe operator so that he can see what he is doin The tension device shown includes a hea G idly mounted onan axle or stud bolt g, the latter being inclined as shown in Figure 9, and

attached fixedly 'to frame A on one side of the gear housing, a, and in spaced relation thereto. The inclination of axle g positions the tension head G in an inclined relation to the bed plate I) and to the gear housing so as to cant the tension head and thus expose the outer face of said tension head to the view of the operator, whereby'the tie is under observation when positioning it relatively to the tie-engagin elements provided on said outer exposed ace of said head. As shown in Figures '1 and 16, the tie-engaging members are in the form of lugs H integral with the head and protruding from the exposed outer face thereof, each lug being peculianly formed to resent sharp an les or corners adapted to bite against the t1e. It is preferred to fashion the lug to present a substantially-triangular contour, with two long' sides h h andwith a base formed b two short sides h h, the angle of which 1s less than the angle of the long sides, the a ices formed by the two short. inclines h an the two long inclines h being in a plane radial to the axis of the head. These lugs H are spaced relatively'to each other in a circular series on the face of the-inclined head, and said'lugs present sharp an les adapted to bite against the wire, as shown in Figure 16, whensaid wire is deflected to pass between two of said lugs, whereby the wire may be fitted to the lugs of the head'so that a slight turn of said he'adis sufficient to connect the wire to said head in a manner to efiectivel preclude slipping during the operation 0 straining the wire in placing the required tension thereon. After the wire is anchored at one end on the machine by enga ement with the jaw and gripper of the hol ing post, said wire is passed at 3 through the slots in the retaining plates D E, and in the twister pinion, it is then passed around the package, forming the loop shown in Figures 10 and 11, the wire is then again carried at 3 through the slots in the retaining plates and the twister pin.

between two or moreof said lugs, whereupon the tension headis turned slightly so as to connect the wire to the head by the bite of the lugs on said wire. By reason of the angular position of the head G and the exposure to view of the angular lugs, the introduction of the wire is facilitated because said wire and the head are at all times exposed to view, and the wire is held securely in the head by the bite of the angular lugs into contact therewith.

As shown, the head is provided with a peripheral groove, g, and with ratchet teeth 9 the latterv being cooperable with a feed pawl I and with a check pawl I, each' pawl being pressed by a spring 2' into operative relation to the ratchet formation of said tension head. Said check pawl I is pivoted on the machine frame, whereas the feed pawl I is pivoted to an operating member shown as a lever J provided at the free end with a hand grip j. Said leveris provided at the opposite end with a laterally pro-.

or ejector for the tie Y.

Said stripper or ejector includes two slidable members L L comprising strai ht pieces with enlarged heads I of angular ormation, see Figure. 14. These stripper members are fitted in guideways provided on the bed plate b arid the gear housing a so as to extend across the throat cl, said stripper members being positioned crosswise of the slide K which has underlap in relation to said stripper members. gai'd slide K is in the form of an elongated plate positioned upon the bed plate b to extend lengthwise thereof, see Figure 2, one end of the slide being in contact with the cam member 9' of the actuating lever J and the other end of the slide, being provided with a pin is, on which is positioned a coiled spring K acting a ainst the slide to impel it in one direction and thus press the slide for the other end thereofto normally contact with said cam j; It will be seen thatthe spring K imparts movement in one direction to the slide, 'whereas the movement of lever J acts through the cam 7' to impart movement in an opposite direction to the slide. The stripper members are actuated simultaneously by the movement of slide K, and to this end, the slide is formed with a plurality of inclined slots m extending diagonally across the same intermediate its ends, whereas the stripper members areprovided with studs or rollers m whi ch' are fitted in said diagonal slots, see Figures 2 and 14. The stripper members are thus operated by the movement of the slide, and these stripper members are positioned on opposite sides of the twister pinion C and between said twister pinion and the retaining plates D, E, so that the heads Z of the stripper members are adapted for contact with the twisted portions y of the tie Y, see dotted lines in Figure 14:.

With the power lever 'J inthe overhanging position of Figures 1 and 2, the cam slide Kis moved by the spring to retract the stripper members L with respect to the slotted twister gear, thus permitting the tie to be placed in the slots' of the retaining plates and the slot of the gear. The power lever is operated by a succession of rela' tively short'strokes to place the tension required on the tie, but a movement of the power lever to the full line position, shown in Figure 14, brings into service the cam 7' to give -afull stroke to the cam slide K and thereby move the stripper members L forwardly to the full limit, the efl'ect of which is to eject the twisted portions y of the -tie from the slots 6 e of the retaining plates D E and from the slot of the'twister gear;

in other, words, the twisted tie is stripped. 'or ejected from thetwister gear, or, conversely, the machine is shoved backwardly from the applied tie, thus facilitating the removal of the machine from the tensioned and twisted tie wire. j

To retain the side by side positioned or parallel parts 1 y? of the tie in the desired relation to each other during the operation of tensioning the tie andof twisting the same by the rotative movement of the twister gear, I provide a detentor latch N, the

samebeing positioned adjacent the retaining plate D. The heel of the detent is piv-s oted at n to the frame A, whereas the free end of said detent is provided with abeak 1?. adapted to engage one length. as of the tie in a-manner topreclude the machine from being displaced with respect to the move the stripper members L to eject the tie from the twister gear and also to raise the pivoted detent N sufiiciently for the beak n to clear the length 3 of the tie Y.

The ear B in mesh with the twister pinion 6, is provided at a certain point with an a erture '0, with which engages alocking pin the latter beingslidable in the gear housing a, see Figures 1 and 3. The'outer end'of'the pin is grooved at o", for engagement with an angle lever O, pivoted'at 0* on the gear housing and engaged by a spring 0 the latter acting to turn the angle lever and to impel the pin 0 into the aperture 0 of the gear. Before turning the crank b" to impart motion to the train of gears B B for rotating the twister gear, the operator should press on the angle release lever -O' and withdrawthfe pin Q from the aperture 0 in the gear B, whereupon the angle .lever' is released. Now by turning the crank, the twister gear C is operated apredeterm-ined number of times until the gear B turns to present the aperture 0 opposite the'pin O, whereupon the spring 0 acts on the angle lever and the pin to force the latter into the aperture 0, thereby locking the gear B and the gears B and C, such locking of the twister gear C taking place at the time when the slot 0 thereof is in register with the slots 6 .e' of the retaining platesD E. The described mechanism permits the rotation of the twister gear to a predetermined extent and acts as a means for automatically lockingthe train of gears so as to lock the twister gear at a point which insures registration of its slot with'the slots of the retaining plates.

In this invention revision is made for cutting surplus wire mm the tie by the action 0 a double cutter, the latter acting on the respective lengths'y y of the tie to cut the latter close to the twists 3 Two cutters are employed, as indicated at P Q, the same being positioned atthe respective sides of the gear housing, and said cut-ters are of such formation that they act to sever from tuated at a time subsequently to the formaih tion of the twists g in the tie, and said cutters are operated automatically by the rota tive movement of one of the elements of the machine, preferably by the gear B of the gear train and prior to the automatic sto 1 page or said gear train by the locking pin Each cutter isa single piece of metal with a cam face p beneath a stop shoulder p, said cutter being vertically positioned alongside one of the retaining plates D or E and having its lower end pivoted thereto as by a screw 1). A spring 9 is connected to each cutter for holdin' the same normally in a position at which t e tie may be inserted readlly into the slots of the machine, the movement of the cutter under the tension of the spring being arrested by a stop 9" positioned in the path of the upper portion of said cutter. The lower edge portions of the two cutters P Q are difl'erently fashioned in order that the cutting edges of said cutters will act to sever the respective parallel portions 3 3 of the tie. The cutter P of Figures 5 and 13 .is of stepped formation to result in a cutting edge 1' and a clearance shoulder 1'' above said edge 1-, whereby the movement of cutter P to the position of F igure.13 results in the cutting e ge r severing the length of the tie, but the clearance shoulder r being raised above the edge r does not act to cut the length 3 of said tie.

, On the return of cutter P to normal position by the tension of the spring, the cutter swings to the position of Figure '5. with the edge r and shoulder r well-above the path of the tie. The other cutter Q is. so formed near the lower edge thereof as to result in a cutting edge e and a notch s, the latter extending upwardly from the cutting edge, as shown in Figures4 and 12. The cutter Q when held in the normal position by spring 4 is swung for the cuttin edge 8 to lie above the path of the tie, see igure 4, but when pressed to an active position as in Figure 12, the edge a severs the length y of the tie, the other length 3 of said tie being received within the notch s. The two cutters P Q are thus constructed and operated to sever the respective lengths y y" of the tie, and the cutters act to cut the tie close to the twists 3 one cutter P severing that ortion of the tie between one twist y, and t e tie holder F, whereas the other cutter Q severs that portion of the tie between the "other twist y and tension head G, whereby'the surplus material is severed automatically after the com letion of the twists in a manner to release t e tie from the machine and 1,0 leave no protrudin or free ends which the package may slide or: to injure the hands of the workmen engaged in handling the packa The cutters are'operated automatica y upon the rotation of the r B forming one of the train of gears or: actuating the cutters by theaction of cams S provided on the exposed ends of gear shaft B, said cams S contacting the marized briefl cam edges p of the respective cutters and the rotation of said cams S being timed to actuate the cutters subsequently to the twisting of the tie by the twister pinion and practically concurrently with the reciprocating movement of the strippers L for ejecting the completed tie from the slotted twister gear and the slotted gear housing. 1

The operation will be understood from the foregoing description, but may be sumplaced by han against a package' in the required position to be occupied by a tie, and

a preformed or plain wire tie as Y ofthe proper length to pass around the package is selected and manipulated b hand so that I the major length of the tie is looped around the package, and the other len' h 11 passes again through the slots of t e retaining gear, and the free end y of said tie length 3 is connected to the tension head G. The power lever J is operated by a succession of relatively short strokes or movements to impart intermittent or step rotation to the tension head,- the length of sa;.l moveas follows: The machine isates, the gear housing and the twisten ments of the power lever not being sufiicient to move the strippers L far enough to throw the parallel portions y y of the tie out of the twister gear (3, nor to disengage the beak n'- of the detent N from contact. with said parallel parts y y of the tie. It is to be, noted that the parts 3 y of the tie are held by the :slotsof the retaining plates D E in parallel relation, to each other duringthe operationof the power lever, and

that the beak of the detent N precludes the parallel le 3 y of said he from slipping out o the twister gear, this function of precluding displacement of the tie' lengths y relative to the twister gear being also o tained by setting the tie holder F and the tension head backwardly from the-line of the looped tie, see Figure 2. The I power lever J is operated a desired number of times for taking up slack in the tie, and for placing the required tension thereon so as to apply the tie tightly around the package and to embed said tie in the corners of said package. The required tension having been placed on, the tie, the check pawlI' holds the parts against retrograde moveations. The operator releases the pin 0 from gear B by pressing down on the angle release lever O, and the crank b is operated to impart movement through the gear iment while performing the subsequent opertrain to the twister gear C, the rotation of which intertw-ists the tie to produce the tie against turning in the slots e e of said the tension head, whereupon the machine plates during said rotation of the gear C and the detent N precluding bodily move ment of the machine away from the tie Y during said rotative movement of the twister gear. Prior to the stoppage of' the twlster gear by the locking'pin O snapping into the aperture 0 of the gear B,- and subsequently to the formation of the twists 2 in' the tie, the cams S act on the cutters P Q, to sever the lengths y y of the tie close to said twists, whereupon the twister gear and other parts reach their normal positions and are locked by pin 0 engaging with gear B, the cutters P Q, being returned by springs q to normal. The operator now swings powerlever J to the extreme position toward. the right," as in 'Figure 14, whereupon cam j rides on the edge of cam slide K to impart movement to the strippers L and to detent N, said detent being lifted away from the wire tie and the strippers acting on the tie at opposite sides of the twists y to-eject the tie from the slots of the machine or to dislodge the machine relatively to the tie by shoving it bodily in a backward direction, the surplus lengthsof- .the tie where attached to the tie holder and the tensionhead having been severed by the automatic operation 0 the cutters P Q so as to release the tie and the machine in a manner to facilitate the removal of the machine from the tie and the packa e. Obviously, the cut off end;portions o the tie aredisengaged from the tie holder and from may be shifted to another position for applying a second tie to the package or shifted to another package ready for another operation.

Having thus fully described the -invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: i

1. In a wire tying machine, a tie holder embodying a jaw provided with a relatively flat face and beveled end faces, and an eccentrically pivoted gripper provided with, a-smooth annular face inopposing relation to the flat face of said jaw.

2. In a wire tying machine, a tie holder embodying a jaw havingbeveled end-faces, and a gripper movable relatively to said jaw, said jaw and the gripper being co-operable with a deformed tie and movable relatively one to the other to assume an open position wherein the space between the gripper and jaw exceeds the normal dimensions of the deformation in said tie, whereby tie may 'be introduced and removed with facility and to assume .a closed position wherein the deformed tie overlies the beveled end faces of the jaw.

3. A wire tying machine including twisting means, and a tie holder inclined in a plane substantially parallel to the axis of the. twisting means with respect to said twisting means and to the path or position of a tie insertable therein.

4. A wire tying machine including a' twister gear, and a tie holding post inclined with respect to the position of a tie in a plane parallel thereto adapted for co-operation with said gear, said tie holding post being provided with tie ripping means which partake of the inclination of said post.

6.- In a wire tying machine, a tie holding post inclined with respect to the position of a tie in a plane parallel thereto adapted for insertion into the machine, a jaw unitary with said post, and a movable gripper supported by the post in position for cooperation with said jaw.

7. In a wire tying machine, a tension head provided with a series of lugs protruding from a face of said head, said lugs being spaced relatively one to the other and each lug provided with inclined faces with respectto each-other and meeting each other to. produce sharp corners and clearance spaces so positioned that at least two of said sharp corners of each lug are adapted to bite against the surface of a-tie.

8; In a wire tying machine, a tension head provided on one of its faces with protuberant lugs, the faces of each lug being inclined to a radius of the head and said faces meeting each other to produce sharp corners so positioned that at least two of said corners of each lug are adapted for biting con-tact with a tie adapted to be passed between said adjacent lugs.

- 9: .In a wire tying machine a tie receiving member, and a tension head provided on one of its faces with a succession of lugs each of angular formation-and adapted for biting engagement with a tie, said head being rotatable on an axis inclined to said tie receiving member of said machine.

10. In awire tying machine, a twister, tension means including an operating member, astripper co-operable with said twister, and means operated by the operating member for imparting movement to said stripper.

11. In a wire tying machine, a twister, a stripper, tension means, and an operating the kmember co-operable with said tension means and said stripper. 1

12. In a wire tying machine, a twister, a stripper includinga plurality off'members co-operable,'with said twister, and means for conjointly operating said stripping members.

13. In a wire tying machine, a twister, a plurality of stripper members positioned at the respective sides of the twister and movable relatively thereto, and means for imparting movement simultaneously to said stripper members.

14. In a wire tying machine, a twister, a plurality of stripper members slidable relatively to said twister, and a singlemember co-operable with said stripper members for imparting movement simultaneously thereto.

15. In a wire tying machine, a twister, a plurality of stripper members slidable relatively to said twister, a single member cooperable with said plurality of stripper members, and a camfor imparting slidable movement to said single 'member for efi'ect-" tively to said twister, a single member. for

conjointly moving said stripper members, tension means, and an operating member for imparting movement to the tensionmeans and to the stripper operating member.

18. In a wire tying machine, a twister, a plurality of stripper members movable relatively to said twister, a single member for conjointly moving said str pper members, tension means, and an operating member movable within certain limits for actuating the tension means and movable also to other positions for effecting the movement of the stripper operating member.

19. In a-wire tying machine, a twister, a

member 'co-operable with the stripper and with the tension means for efi'ecting the independent operation of-the stripper and the tension means.

20. In a wire tying machine, a twister, a

tension head, an operating member for imparting a rotative step movement to sa1d tension head, a stripper 1n movable relatlon to the twister, and means operated by the stripper and actuated by the cam of said 6 operating member;

22. In a wire tying machine, a slotted twister adapted for the reception of parallel portions of a tie,a detent engageable with said tie for retaining the latter againstdisplacement during the rotation of said twister, and means for effecting the release of said detent automatically from the tie subsequently to'the operation of 'said twister.

23. In a wire tying machine, a slotted twister adapted for the reception of parallel portions of a tie, a detent engageable with'said tie for retaining the latter against displacement during the rotation of said twister, a stripper co-operable with the twister, and means operated conjointly with the movement of the stripper for effecting the release of said detent from the tie.

24. In a wire tying machine, a slotted twister adapted for the reception of parallel portions of a'tie, a detent engageable with said tie for retaining the latteragain'st displacement during "the rotation of said twister, a stripper co-operable with the twister, and a stripper actuating member co-operable with said detent for shifting the latter free from. the tie.

25. In a wire tying machine, a twister, actuating means therefor, and a plurality of cutters operated by the twister actuating means, said cutters being positioned to sever simultaneously the respective lengths of a tie adjacent the twists produced in said tie by the rotation of saidtwister subsequent to the twisting operating. a

26. In a wire tying machine, a'tie holder, a tie tension head, a twister intermediate the tie holder and said tension head, and a plurality of cutters positioned to sever. si-.

multaneously the respective lengths of a tie at points intervening the twister, the tie holder and the tension head after the twisting operation.

27. In a wire tying machine, a tie holder,

.a tie tension head, a twister intermediate str1pper,-tens1on means, and an operating actuated simultaneously automatically with the rotation of the twister and subsequently to the action of said twister on said tie.

28. Ina wire tying machine, a twister, and a plurality of cutters operated simultaneously and with said twister, one of said cutters havinga notched cutting edge and the other cutter provided with a step formed edge whereby the cutters operated to straddle one length of a tie and to sever the other length of the same tie.

. 29. In a wire tying machine, a twister, a plurality of cutters positioned for simultaneously severing the respective lengths of a tie adjacent the resulting twists produced by the twister, and cutter actuatingmeans timed for effecting the operation of said cutters subsequently to the action of the twister on the tie.

30. In a wire tying machine, the combination of a plurality of'devices for holding, tensioning and tying two bights of a wire, actuating means for said tensioning device and said tying device, an ejector acting to bear forcibly'against said wire after it is tied and to'eject said tied wire from the machine, and means for automatically actuating said ejector.

31. In a wire tying machine, the combination of a plurality of devices for holding, tensioning and tying two bights of a wire, actuating means for said tensioning device and said tying device,-a reciprocating ejector positioned for contact with said'wire and operable for forcibly ejecting the same from the machine after said wire is tied, and means operated by said actuating means for actuating said ejector.

32. In a wire tying machine, the combination of tensioning means, twisting means including a slotted pinion, wire holding means located on either side of said pinion, an ejector positioned for engagement with said wire after it is tied and operable for dislodging the tied wire from said slotted pinion, a cam member for actuating the ejector in one direction, and means for returning the ejector to normal position. 7

' 33. In a wire tying machine, the combination of tensioning, means, twisting means including a slotted pinion, wire holding means located on either side of said pinion, cutting means for severing the wire subsequent to the twisting of said wire, an ejector positioned for engagement with said wire after it is tied and operable for dislodging the same from said slotted pinion, and means for actuating said ejector in timed relation to the twisting pinion and the cutting means.

34. In a wire tying machine, the combination of a plurality of devices for holding, tensioning and tying two bights of a wire, actuating means for said tensioning device and said tying device, an ejector acting. to bear forcibly against said wire after it is tied and to eject the tied wire from the machine, and means controlled by said devices for actuating said ejector.

35. In a wire tying machine, the combination of a plurality of devices for holding, tensioning and tying two bights of a wire, actuating means for said tensioning device and said tying device, an ejector acting to bear forcibly against said wire aiter it is tied and to eject the tied wire from the machine, and means controlled by said devices for actuating said ejector, said means embodying a slide.

36. In a wire tying machine, the combination of devices for holding, tensioning and eject it from the machine, means for actuating said tensioning and tying means, and means actuated from the first-named means for actuating the ejector after the V twisted wirehas been severed.

38. In a wire tying machine, the combination of devices for holding, tensioning and tying together two bights of wire, actuators for said tensioning device and said tying device, an ejector acting to bear forcibly against the wire after it is tied and eject it from the machine, and means associated with and controlled by one of said actuators for automatically actuating said ejector.

39. In a wire tying machine, the combination of devices for holding, tensioning and tying together two bights of wire, actuators for said tensioning device and said tying device, a slidable reciprocating ejector act in to bear forcibly against the wire after it is tied and eject it from the machine, and means associated with and controlled by one of said actuators for automatically actuating said ejector.

- 40. In a wire tying machine the combination of devices for tensioning and tyin'gtogether two bights of wire, actuators for the tensioning and tying devices. and an ejector operated by one of said actuators to cause the ejector to bear forcibly against the wire after it is tied and eject it from said machine.

41. In a wire tying machine, the combination of devices for tensioning and tying together two bights of wire, actuators for said tensioning and said tying devices, an ejector operated by one of the said actuators to bear forcibly against the wire after it is tied and eject itfrom said machine, and a spring to return the ejector to initial position.

42. In a wire tying machine, the combination of devices for tensioning and tying together two bights of wire, an ejector acting to bear forcibly against the wire after it is tied .to eject it from the tying device, ac-

tuators for operating said tensioning device and said tying device, means associated wlth one of said actuators for automaticall ac-' tuting the ejector, and means for ho ding the wire in said machine during tensioning and tying operations.

43. In a wire tying machine, the combination of devices for tensioning and tying to- -th e tying o eration and ether two bights of wire, actuating devices or said tensioning device and said tying device, an ejector carried by said machine for ejecting the bights of wire after they have been tied, said ejector arranged to be operated by oneof said actuating devices, and a detent for retaining said bights'of wire in normal position in said machine during arranged to be moved out o retaining position during the ejecting operation.

In testimony whereof I have hereto signed my name this 4th day of September, 1923. JOHN SHERMAN MCCHESNEY. 

